Egypt to import 850 smart-card metro turnstiles from France

CAIRO: Egypt has concluded an agreement with French Thales to buy 850 smartcard turnstiles for metro lines 1 and 2 at a cost of $160 million, an official source at the metro company told Youm7 Monday.

The agreement is expected to be signed in October, after the cost was reduced from $200 million, the source said, adding that the turnstiles of Line 1 will be imported in the span of nine months. The turnstiles for Line 2 will be installed in 15 months from the signing.

Further, 100 ticket printers and 75 ticket checking devices are included in the deal.

Fixing old turnstiles in Cairo’s two oldest metro lines has not been possible because of the lack of spare parts, as they were first installed in the late 1980s, when the metro was inaugurated, according to the source.

As per the agreement with Thales, the new turnstiles will be use the same technology as the turnstiles in Line 3 and some new turnstiles in Lines 1 and 2, ultimately creating a unified network of turnstiles at all stations, the source said.

Many turnstiles at lines 1 and 2 stations are out of operation; passengers leave their tickets with metro personnel at exits.